My clients often tell me that they have a hard time feeling the presence of the spirits of their loved ones who have passed over. Unfortunately many people are looking for spectacular signs from those in eternal life. They look for the Hollywood version of spirit communication.

When I do mediumistic readings for people and blend with the spirits of their loved ones in order to bring messages, nothing spectacular happens. Lights do not flash on and off and pictures do not fall off the wall. What I experience is quite subtle. I just know that the spirits are there and I begin to see visions in my mind of what they used to look like. I begin to blend with their memories and just know things about their lives. After I have given my clients the messages from their loved ones, I tell them that as they open to the presence of spirit, they will have the same experience I am having. They will just know the spirits are there.

It is natural for any of us to doubt it when we experience the presence of the spirit of a loved one. We become sure we are making it up because we long to hear from our loved one. That is why it is so helpful to have a reading with an experienced medium. If a medium, who knows nothing about your loved one, can tell you things about your loved one that are true, then you will know that the spirit of your loved one really has survived the change called death. This knowledge will make it easier for you to believe it when you feel the presence yourself.

I became a medium because the gift was suddenly given to me. But then I trained for years in Spiritualist organizations such as the American Federation of Spiritualist Churches and took courses with the Spiritualist National Union of Great Britain. My education helped me to understand my gift and learn to use it responsibly.

I encourage you to be open to the presence of your loved ones. You do not have to be a medium. Just be open and allow the spirits of your loved ones to come to you.

When we, who are still living in physical bodies, are granted access to communications with the spirits of those who have passed on into eternal life, we have reason to give grateful thanks to a power greater than ourselves. From my perspective as a psychic medium, when I am able to open up a part of my consciousness and enter the sacred space of communication, it is a real blessing for me, for the spirits and for those who receive messages from the spirits through mediumship.

At times on radio and television, spirit communication may look like a parlor game or entertainment. This is due to the quick messages that we must give. And while there is a great purpose for us to do mini-readings on the radio, on television and in chat rooms, it is important that the general public understand that having a private reading in person or on the phone, or even a small group reading with an experienced medium, is a totally different experience in which you will receive a more in depth message from a loved one who has passed on. Of course there are always exceptions, and sometimes in a message given on the radio or on television, the experience may be incredible and a great deal of healing may take place. But generally speaking, if one wants an in depth reading, make an appointment for a private or small group reading.

The other day I was doing a reading for a woman on the phone, who praised me when I brought a good piece of evidence about a loved one who has passed over by saying “Oh, that was a hit.” And when I brought a piece of information that she could not understand she said “Sorry, that was a miss.” Halfway through the reading, I was beginning to feel like I was playing baseball rather than communicating with the world of spirit. I finally suggested to my client that we not evaluate each comment that I made in terms of “hits or misses” and allow ourselves to enter the sacred space of spirit communication. It was good that I made this comment, because as the client and I entered a more sacred space, the spirit blended with us in a totally different way, and now we were getting better messages from those in spirit. And in fact, there was also more factual information embedded in the messages. At this point, we were not interrupting the flow of the communication from spirit with quick evaluations of each point made. Instead of feeling like I was in the middle of a spelling test, I was involved in the miraculous environment of spirit communication.

Now I could not blame my client for originally creating the atmosphere of a ball game or spelling quiz, as that kind of portrayal of spirit communication may be what she has been used to experiencing on the radio, television and in some demonstrations of mediumship. It becomes all too easy for both mediums and those who receive readings, to experience the communication as a game. Because we are bringing evidence about those who lived in order to prove that we are communicating, it does become necessary to evaluate whether the evidence is correct. But hopefully there is a way for us as mediums to blend so deeply with the spirits of those who have passed over, that the messages that come through will flow naturally and will contain factual information that in fact proves we are in communication.

Communication with those who have passed on is very sacred, and hopefully we can find ways to communicate with our loved ones that reflects our gratitude for the opportunity to communicate.

This is the time of the year that we give thanks for all that we have. For some of us who have recently lost a loved one, it can become difficult to feel thankful. As a psychic medium who communicates with the spirits of our loved ones, I suggest that at this time of the year we send our prayers to all of our loved ones who are now in the world of spirit. Those who have passed to the world of spirit within the past year particularly need our prayers at this time. My experience tells me that their spirits will be around us during our holiday season and that they will hear our prayers.

Even those in spirit whom we did not get along with at all while they were living, hear our prayers. My communications with those who have passed on have taught me that all our loved ones are evolving spiritually on the other side of life, and so even those who were not easy to get along with, are improving spiritually.

And as we focus on our loved ones in the world of spirit, let us not forget to give thanks for those who are living and near and dear to us. Sometimes it is easy to take our friends and relatives for granted.

I invite you to respond to this Thanksgiving Post, with your own words of thanks. I wish you a thanksgiving day full of hope.

About...

Carole Lynne is a psychic medium, author and minister interested in the spiritual evolution of the soul. Ms. Lynne offers private and group readings, and volunteers for many Spiritualist churches. Learn more at www.carolelynne.com